76
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: [Roadtrip] G.O.R.F = Going On Roadtrip to France
« on: April 01, 2011, 09:10:30 PM »
It's very European to have the washer/drier in the kitchen ..
Always surprises me when I see this.
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It's very European to have the washer/drier in the kitchen ..
Always surprises me when I see this.
77
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: January 06, 2011, 04:37:20 PM »The temperature now is 13.9 degr.C and (even more important) humidity 42%. Sounds like very healthy for the cabs, in fact, temp can be a bit lower for me...outside temp is around 0 degrees C right now. Let's see what it does later in the evening.
13.9 C is normal!?! Where do you live, the arctic circle!??
I wouldn't want anything below 17 C in any residence where I live in, and I tend to keep it 21-22 C in my home (when it's -20 C outside!)
78
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: December 29, 2010, 07:34:17 PM »About metric in Canada: they switched back in the late 80's AFAIK.
As a matter of fact, the US is still the only country in the world that uses something else.....
As far as building codes are concerned, and purchasing most items, you are correct. Gas is sold in Liters, food by the Kg, and the speed signs on the road is in KM/H. ***BUT*** all building supplies and raw material is still imperial (i.e. same system as in the USA). For example, a typical piece of wood is a 2x4x8 (2 inches by 4 inches by 8 feet long). All measurements and plans are in feet and inches as well. It kind of sucks, because it's not as precise as metric (especially doing devision and conversion!) but you get used to it.
Most of the wood Canada produces goes to the USA (it's our #1 export) .. so I guess that's why this industry uses this older system. It feels weird to measure and cut wood in meters.
79
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: December 29, 2010, 05:55:46 PM »
Blanka,
western red cedar lasts longer than pine, but homes are not build from that material here. Cedar is as expensive as pressure treated wood (pine) (i.e. 2-3 times the cost), so it's only used outdoors for its beauty and smell. Expensive decks are build from cedar, but the joists/support beams (stuff you don't see) is made from pressure treated. Keep in mind that the red cedar you buy today is not as good as stuff you purchased 20 years ago. Red cedar today is what we call "new growth" where the rings aren't as tight together .. it doesn't last outdoors as long as the old growth (which is close to impossible to find).
If money was no object, than homes in Canada will be build like this: (all custom homes, and new homes are starting to be like this)
- Styrofoam forms (with steel rebar) filled with concrete foundation. The Styrofoam remains behind as a good insulator/water proofer.
- rest of house build from pine injected with special blue liquid. It's like pressure treatment, but made for indoor. It doesn't rot, have any gases, and ants/termites hate it.
- for insulation, you use spray foam on site (e.g. WALLTITE ECO) - all structural walls are build from 2x6 wood. (expect R22 with perfect air tight seal, fully thermal breakage from outside)
- roof has blown in insulation - R50 minimum (by code!)
- the outside of the house has brick or stone veneer for beauty
- all windows are triple pane, low-e argon glass filled
A home like this is so tight, that it requires a heat exchanger to bring in fresh air from outside! Requires very little heating/AC to keep warm/cool.
As for rockwool, we have a similar product here (it's called Roxul - it's made of Basalt rock and Recycled Slag). I've used it before and like it a lot more than pink insulation. It's fire proof, and better insulator! I've seen a blow torch sitting against this insulation for hours, and nothing happened to it! It's required by code to insulate around pod lights, fireplace vents, and anywhere where high heat might exist and insulation is required.
western red cedar lasts longer than pine, but homes are not build from that material here. Cedar is as expensive as pressure treated wood (pine) (i.e. 2-3 times the cost), so it's only used outdoors for its beauty and smell. Expensive decks are build from cedar, but the joists/support beams (stuff you don't see) is made from pressure treated. Keep in mind that the red cedar you buy today is not as good as stuff you purchased 20 years ago. Red cedar today is what we call "new growth" where the rings aren't as tight together .. it doesn't last outdoors as long as the old growth (which is close to impossible to find).
If money was no object, than homes in Canada will be build like this: (all custom homes, and new homes are starting to be like this)
- Styrofoam forms (with steel rebar) filled with concrete foundation. The Styrofoam remains behind as a good insulator/water proofer.
- rest of house build from pine injected with special blue liquid. It's like pressure treatment, but made for indoor. It doesn't rot, have any gases, and ants/termites hate it.
- for insulation, you use spray foam on site (e.g. WALLTITE ECO) - all structural walls are build from 2x6 wood. (expect R22 with perfect air tight seal, fully thermal breakage from outside)
- roof has blown in insulation - R50 minimum (by code!)
- the outside of the house has brick or stone veneer for beauty
- all windows are triple pane, low-e argon glass filled
A home like this is so tight, that it requires a heat exchanger to bring in fresh air from outside! Requires very little heating/AC to keep warm/cool.
As for rockwool, we have a similar product here (it's called Roxul - it's made of Basalt rock and Recycled Slag). I've used it before and like it a lot more than pink insulation. It's fire proof, and better insulator! I've seen a blow torch sitting against this insulation for hours, and nothing happened to it! It's required by code to insulate around pod lights, fireplace vents, and anywhere where high heat might exist and insulation is required.
80
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: December 29, 2010, 12:00:42 AM »What makes you think concrete homes would be harder to heat ? All modern build homes are very will insulated with rock-wool or stuff like that. If I compare my (gas operated, we have gas lines like water lines across the country) central heater to the one my uncle in Massachusetts has it's tiny. He has an oil operated heater, and it's huge, but if it is -20 degr. Celsius there, he still want to have +21 inside....that's a task our heating will never have to face.
Thanks for the explanation. The truth is, that what you uncle has is Mass is not normal for Canada. In the big cities (I live in Toronto) the following are all connected via underground lines: sewer, water, electricity, and gas. We use gas to heat the house, the stove and hot water tank. Electricity is used for AC, washer/drier, fridge and dishwasher. Only really old homes still have oil tanks... but they're being removed and upgraded to natural gas.
The weather here fluctuates between -35 C in the winter to 35 C in the summer. Most people keep it at +22 to +24 year round. Natural gas is very cheap in Canada .. we over produce it and sell a lot of it to the USA (same with oil.. Canada sells more oil to the USA than the entire middle east!)
As for construction, there's a plus to build from wood on top of poured concrete. It's easy to pull lines after the fact (e.g. ethernet, security system, etc.) Also, it's much easier to move walls around inside if you wish (open concept is pretty popular these days). The negative is house fires.
Also, I do believe that we use wood here because it's very cheap! I was at the local building store today and looked at the cost of wood. a 2x4x8' is less than 2$!! I'm sure home builders probably get it for even less!!!
81
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: [Restoration] let's play a RALLY - who needs PONG?
« on: December 23, 2010, 03:26:38 PM »
Recapping electronics is one of my most favorite past times .. 
<seriously!>
Enjoy!
<seriously!>Enjoy!
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Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: December 23, 2010, 03:24:13 PM »
Thanks for the lesson! Very interesting .. sounds a lot like homes in New Orleans, where a lot of the homes are below sea level, and if you dig down just 1m or more, you hit water (this is why cemeteries there all have the caskets resting above ground in tombs).
The only thing that surprises me is the material. Concrete/stone tends to be more common in hot weather construction (Greece, Italy, middle east, etc.) In colder climates, homes tend to be build from wood (I believe due to availability and thermal properties in the winter). I can imagine that it costs a lot more to heat a home made of concrete than it does of wood.
Nuno, how do you heat the lair? Electric heaters? I can't imagine you'll be installing a gas furnace into the building. And if you do use electric heaters, how do you maintain constant humidity? Or at least comfortable levels? (If I didn't have a central humidifier on my gas furnace, the humidity in the house drops to about 20%, which is drier than the Sahara desert! Bad for skin, static electricity, and overall comfort levels)
The only thing that surprises me is the material. Concrete/stone tends to be more common in hot weather construction (Greece, Italy, middle east, etc.) In colder climates, homes tend to be build from wood (I believe due to availability and thermal properties in the winter). I can imagine that it costs a lot more to heat a home made of concrete than it does of wood.
Nuno, how do you heat the lair? Electric heaters? I can't imagine you'll be installing a gas furnace into the building. And if you do use electric heaters, how do you maintain constant humidity? Or at least comfortable levels? (If I didn't have a central humidifier on my gas furnace, the humidity in the house drops to about 20%, which is drier than the Sahara desert! Bad for skin, static electricity, and overall comfort levels)
83
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: December 23, 2010, 01:40:47 AM »
Interesting ..
my home was build in 1918, and we're about 1 km away from the lake. 150 years ago, the water line was very close to my street.. as a result, it's all sand here. But nothing sinks in the ground. Makes me wonder how soft your ground is that structures actually sink in it?
Also, what are home generally made from? In Canada, only the foundation is concrete. The rest is wood with a brick veneer. Typically 2 stories + full size below ground basement.
my home was build in 1918, and we're about 1 km away from the lake. 150 years ago, the water line was very close to my street.. as a result, it's all sand here. But nothing sinks in the ground. Makes me wonder how soft your ground is that structures actually sink in it?
Also, what are home generally made from? In Canada, only the foundation is concrete. The rest is wood with a brick veneer. Typically 2 stories + full size below ground basement.
84
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: December 20, 2010, 10:12:00 PM »
Construction in different parts of the world really interests me a lot..
I've never seen this type of construction before. Here in Canada, and most of the USA, you would pour concrete in the basement, and most times at the end, when the house is pretty much built! Mind you the concrete that will be used will not be the same stuff as you buy at the store in bags and mix with water. They have higher density/pressure concrete that's infused with fibers (think of it like fiber glass concrete!) which will make it super strong and resist cracks.
The only thing I can think of that comes close to this kind of construction is cottage construction. Many cottages are build on the "canadian shield" which is basically rock. The only way to break this "earth" is with explosives! In this case, cottages don't have basements, but are rather build on piers. But even the base floor is from wood, and not concrete due to weather (-30 to -40 degrees C is common in the winter .. with concrete you'd freeze! Wood is an "ok" thermal break for sub floor)
In any case, keep up with the pictures .. very interesting.
I've never seen this type of construction before. Here in Canada, and most of the USA, you would pour concrete in the basement, and most times at the end, when the house is pretty much built! Mind you the concrete that will be used will not be the same stuff as you buy at the store in bags and mix with water. They have higher density/pressure concrete that's infused with fibers (think of it like fiber glass concrete!) which will make it super strong and resist cracks.
The only thing I can think of that comes close to this kind of construction is cottage construction. Many cottages are build on the "canadian shield" which is basically rock. The only way to break this "earth" is with explosives! In this case, cottages don't have basements, but are rather build on piers. But even the base floor is from wood, and not concrete due to weather (-30 to -40 degrees C is common in the winter .. with concrete you'd freeze! Wood is an "ok" thermal break for sub floor)
In any case, keep up with the pictures .. very interesting.
85
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: October 24, 2008, 11:23:30 PM »
Your pictures bring up an interesting question ..
what do pro's paint first? The walls or the ceiling ??
what do pro's paint first? The walls or the ceiling ??
86
All the rest / Re: Hurricane Ike - Our Experience
« on: October 17, 2008, 06:01:14 AM »
WOW!!!!! It's stuff like this that makes me complain less about the freezing cold winters up here in Toronto, Canada.
I have a question about your sister's home... Why is it a loss? If a house gets water damaged, it needs to be torn down? Can't they remove all the drywall (down to the bare wood) treat it, and rebuild??
This is something they do with houses that had fires, surprised that water damage = tear down.
I have a question about your sister's home... Why is it a loss? If a house gets water damaged, it needs to be torn down? Can't they remove all the drywall (down to the bare wood) treat it, and rebuild??
This is something they do with houses that had fires, surprised that water damage = tear down.
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Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: September 29, 2008, 10:05:44 PM »
very interesting how construction differs in different parts of the world. I guess the weather plays a big role in regards to the construction you use.
In North America, that room will be very cold in the winter (due to the lack of insulation in the walls). Also, due to high humidity in the summer, the wood would have lots of mold growing on it
due to the lack of air/water barrier. Concrete can't hold water back. Here in Toronto, humidity from the air + water content in the ground will travel through that concrete right into the room.
Keep up the good work. Really fascinating!
In North America, that room will be very cold in the winter (due to the lack of insulation in the walls). Also, due to high humidity in the summer, the wood would have lots of mold growing on it
due to the lack of air/water barrier. Concrete can't hold water back. Here in Toronto, humidity from the air + water content in the ground will travel through that concrete right into the room.
Keep up the good work. Really fascinating!
88
Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: September 02, 2008, 03:49:54 AM »
I am truly amazed!
I've never seen plaster board (drywall) installed on top of plywood. Your wall must be super strong because of this. Is this the way homes are built in Belgium?
I've never seen plaster board (drywall) installed on top of plywood. Your wall must be super strong because of this. Is this the way homes are built in Belgium?
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Arcade Lifestyle / Re: I'm building my personal Gaming Room...
« on: August 28, 2008, 06:23:06 PM »
Looking great!
It's very surprising to see the way different parts of the world do construction as opposed to the way we do it here in Canada. Most of our homes and additions are wood buildings (with brick on the outside as a veneer) We add R22 insulation in the walls + drywall to finish off. Also, the roofs (where most of the heat is lost) has 2-3 times more insulation than the walls.
I'm not sure how the weather is in Belgium in the winter (we get to -30 Celsius here and colder in Toronto) so the building style seems to be very different.
How do you normally heat the gaming room in the winter?
It's very surprising to see the way different parts of the world do construction as opposed to the way we do it here in Canada. Most of our homes and additions are wood buildings (with brick on the outside as a veneer) We add R22 insulation in the walls + drywall to finish off. Also, the roofs (where most of the heat is lost) has 2-3 times more insulation than the walls.
I'm not sure how the weather is in Belgium in the winter (we get to -30 Celsius here and colder in Toronto) so the building style seems to be very different.
How do you normally heat the gaming room in the winter?